BarkingProse

Once upon a time we were blessed to have Darcy in our pack. It seems like forever ago that he came to us through Old Dog Haven. He was old and tired and needed a place to hang out.

At first me and Tess ignored him. He was fat and slow and had no interest in playing. He was afraid of his own shadow and didn’t even know when to bark.

But after a few days he decided he liked the food and warm floors. He figured out mom cooked our food and was smart enough to stick to her. Soon he became mom’s shadow. He even laid out on the cold grass so he could watch her ride the mower.

Everybody who came to the house instantly liked Darcy. He didn’t bark or jump or carry on. He looked everyone in the eye and sometimes offered a paw for inspection. When you looked deep into his eyes you could see he had a big heart. Mom said he had an old soul.

We didn’t now when Darcy was born so we gave him a new birthday – the day he came to Asherpark. We got him just before Thanksgiving in 2009. We lost him in January 2010.

You can read about Darcy by clicking on his name at the top of our home page. It’s a bittersweet story of loss, love and hope. Mom and dad cried so much the day he died. Even me and Tess were sick at heart over losing him so soon.

Just before Darcy died mom told him he would live forever in our hearts. We saved his ashes to spread at Asherpark and put some of them into a special Spirit Weight. I’ll tell you about the Spirit Weight some other time. Even though his time at Asherpark was way too short, Darcy will always be a member of our pack.

I barked about this before but it’s worth barking again. Darcy came to us after we lost Codie. He taught us how easy it is to love another dog, even one who is old and worn out. Darcy couldn’t stay long. He got called to cross the rainbow bridge. But before he left he put it in mom’s heart to take another rescue mutt through Old Dog Haven. That mutt is our beloved Jack.

See, that’s the beauty of our pack. It’s an unbroken chain of love and loss and love again. Think about it and remember Darcy.

 

I’m sorry. I know it’s been a long time since I last barked. I didn’t mean for two weeks to go by without a DailyBark. But it has been a sad time and my bark went silent.

Mom asked me if I wanted Jack or Tess to bark for me, but I had to do it myself. It just took me a while.

Remember my pals the Labradors – Pepper, Maggi and Libby? They stay with us a lot when their people travel. We were looking forward to them coming out but then Pepper got real sick.

Pepper had been fighting off cancer for a long time and the sickness finally got her. She was real brave about the treatments and never complained.

Pepper kept a good attitude and enjoyed life until the end. On her last weekend she was running on the beach with a big smile on her face.

People cry when one of us mutts leaves this world. Us dogs don’t cry but we get real quiet and we mourn in our own way. When Maggi and Libby realized Pepper wasn’t coming home they looked so lost. Usually they run around a lot in our big yard and make lots of noise. This time they just lay down on their beds.

Everything is different now without Pepper. It used to be that we had two packs. There was the house pack and the visiting Labradors pack. Since Maggi and Libby lost their leader they’ve asked to join the house pack. This week it’s been us five dogs in one pack all following mom around like her private security detail.

Before Pepper died the Labradors were a close pack. You can see from this picture taken by their boss how tight they were. Life goes on but there will always be someone missing for the Labradors.

I know Pepper wouldn’t want us to be sad. She’d want somebody to toss her the ball or take her for a ride. So that’s how we’ll celebrate her life.

Mom’s gonna take us all in the car. We’re gonna drive the country roads with the windows down so we can smell the manure. Pepper will be riding with us in spirit. Here’s to you Pepper!

Something very special happened on Christmas. Something that meant the world to old Jack. Something he never ever expected. Something he will never forget.

Mom and dad were loading the car so I knew they were going out. Mom always tells me right away if I get to go. This time she said Tess and I had to stay home. “What about Jack,” I asked.

Mom signaled for me to sit down so I knew she was going to tell me something important. “We’re going to take Jack with us,” she said. “It’s a surprise. He’s never been to a big dinner party before.”

Tess and I wanted to go too. We wanted to see our Labrador pals and meet some new people. But mom said it would be too many dogs. She said my high energy and six other dogs would be a disaster in a busy kitchen.

That’s true. When I get to the house where my pals live, I tear around looking for their toys. We’re so happy to see each other it’s total chaos.

Mom asked me to babysit Tess so Jack could have this special experience. Tess can’t be left alone because she gets too anxious. I was disappointed but I understood. She promised she would bring treats and we could stay up late when she got home.

Jack was thrilled to go with mom and dad. He didn’t know where he was going but he didn’t care. He just wanted to go. Jack figured he’d have to stay in the car during dinner, but at least he’d have a nice ride.

When everyone was settled mom brought Jack into the house. The other dogs got put outside until Jack was introduced. Mom said the conversation stopped and everyone turned to Jack. He sat down real polite like and greeted everyone. He shook paws with one of the guys.

At first mom kept Jack on a leash so he couldn’t even think about marking. Then she let him loose so he could hang out in the kitchen. Jack was so happy. He was on his best behavior.

After a couple of hours of socializing Jack got tired and asked to go back to the car. Mom walked him out and lifted him onto his bed. She kissed his big flat head and whispered “Merry Christmas Jack.” I think it was the best Christmas Jack ever had. I’m glad. We love Jack.